Tinton May Just Be The Most Haunting And Well-Preserved Ghost Town In South Dakota
Thanks to our rich history of both mining and the railroad, South Dakota has seen its fair share of towns come and go, usually because of the collapse of these once vital companies. While you can have your pick of just about any area and find deserted communities nearby, we recommend going out of your way a bit to check out Tinton: the most haunting and well-preserved ghost town in the Mount Rushmore State.
Tucked away in the heart of the Black Hills, Tinton got its start as a camp for nearby gold mines but - unlike others - continued to prosper due to the later discovery of tin.
Settled in 1876, Tinton experienced its first gold boom in 1879, which was followed after that by the discovery of tin (1884) and brought in countless families to the newly established area.
By 1904, Tinton had it all: the thriving Tinton Mining Company, a schoolhouse, post office, hotel, newspaper, and shop, which - paired with the fact that 104,987 pounds of tin had been mined by 1911 - made the town seem virtually unstoppable.
Sadly, after its peak in 1911, production of tin and gold began to decline, with only a few more small discoveries (including feldspar and lithium during World War II) before the 1950s. Because of this, the town of Tinton found its population dwindling by the day.
Despite efforts to revive the town - including different companies purchasing it - Tinton was deserted entirely by the mid-1950s, thanks to both a lack of jobs and a fire that destroyed the mill.
While no one remains in Tinton, many of its original buildings are still intact, which you can see when you either drive through the town or explore it on foot.
